An online YIMBY toolkit from Vancouver’s Pivot Legal Society may be coming soon to a neighbourhood near you
NIMBY is an acronym for “not in my backyard” used to describe a person who objects to something they perceive as unpleasant or potentially dangerous in their own neighborhood. YIMBY—“yes, in my backyard”— is a lesser known antonym to NIMBY. The term YIMBY first emerged in the late 1980s and is used to describe people who understand the value of addressing homelessness, addictions, and mental illness in a proactive and positive way and are active in welcoming new projects and people into their neighbourhoods.
Vancouver’s Pivot Legal Society has just launched a Yes, in my backyard! toolkit [opens to PDF] for people who want to welcome potentially controversial projects, including homeless shelters, to their neighbourhoods.
We speak with Darcie Bennett, campaigns director with Pivot Legal Society.
